Te ntabo

Te ntabo. Red shell neck ornament. This is a pendant that has been cut from the shell of koikoinanti (bivalve shell fish; Gafraum tumidum). It is concave in form and shaped like an almond. The convex surface has been smoothed to show a slightly polished area. Opposite, the concave surface shows the remains of the original interior of the shell. The depth of the shell material can be seen from where it has been cut into an almond shape. The convex surface is pale red with some linear details in contrast to its concave interior that is of a darker shade of red with a small area of white. A circular perforation has been drilled into the more curved end of the almond shaped ornament. This particualr ornament is a pendant that would form a mwae (Neck ornament). Te kora (coconut sennit fibre cordage) or braided human hair would be threaded through the perforation to form the neck band. It would be worn around the neck, placed above the bunna (throat ornament of human hair) and worn mostly by men. The koikoinanti can also be referred to as 'the small shell of the spirits' and is regarded a highly valuable possesion.